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Horace Walpole Quotes

Politician

Horace Walpole was an English politician, writer, and critic, born on September 24, 1717, and died on March 2, 1797. He is best known for his contributions to literature and the arts, particularly for his role in the revival of Gothic novels.

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Famous Horace Walpole Quotes

“What is called chance is the instrument of Providence and the secret agent that counteracts what men call wisdom, and preserves order and regularity, and continuation in the whole, for ... I firmly believe, notwithstanding all our complaints, that almost every person upon earth tastes upon the totality more happiness than misery; and therefore if we could correct the world to our fancies, and with the best intentions imaginable, probably we should only produce more misery and confusion.”

Source: The letters of Horace Walpole: fourth earl of Orford

“Shakespeare had no tutors but nature and genius. He caught his faults from the bad taste of his contemporaries. In an age still less civilized Shakespeare might have been wilder, but would not have been vulgar.”

Has Beens Stills Might Age Genius Taste Faults Caught Civilized Vulgar Might Have Been Bad Taste Wilder Tutor

Author:Horace Walpole

“When Shakespeare copied chroniclers verbatim, it was because he knew they were good enough for his audiences. In a more polished age he who could so move our passions, could surely have performed the easier task of satisfying our taste.”

Enough Age Moving Passion Audience Easier Taste Tasks Good Enough Satisfying Polished

Author:Horace Walpole

“Pedants make a great rout about criticism, as if it were a science of great depth, and required much pains and knowledge--criticism however is only the result of good sense, taste and judgment--three qualities that indeed seldom are found together, and extremely seldom in a pedant, which most critics are.”

Ifs Pain Together Three Found Results Quality Taste Judgment Criticism Critics Depth Good Sense Pedants Pedantry Taste And Judgment

Author:Horace Walpole

“[The] taste [of the French] is too timid to be true taste--or is but half taste.”

Half Taste Being True

Author:Horace Walpole

“One of the greatest geniuses that ever existed, Shakespeare, undoubtedly wanted taste.”

Wanted Genius Taste

Author:Horace Walpole

“I firmly believe, notwithstanding all our complaints, that almost every person upon earth tastes upon the totality more happiness than misery.”

Believe Persons Earth Happiness Taste Misery Complaints Totality

Book:The Letters of Horace Walpole: Earl of Orford

Source: The Letters of Horace Walpole: Earl of Orford

About the Author

Born: September 24, 1717
Died: March 2, 1797
Known for: Politician
Quotes: 119

Books & Sources

The letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford: including numerous letters now first published from the original manuscriptsRelated source material

The Letters of Horace Walpole: Earl of OrfordRelated source material

The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of OxfordRelated source material

The castle of OtrantoRelated source material

The letters of Horace Walpole, earl of OrfordRelated source material

Delphi Complete Works of Horace Walpole (Illustrated)Related source material

The Works of Horatio Walpole, Earl of Orford ...Related source material

The Yale Edition of Horace Walpole's CorrespondenceRelated source material

Memoires of the Last Ten years of the Reign of George the SecondRelated source material

Horace Walpole: Memoirs and PortraitsRelated source material

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